Rotary-cylinder engine.



No. 733,477. PATENTED JULY 14, 1903. J. G. GRACEY. ROTARY CYLINDER ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 13, 1902.

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J. G. GRACEY. ROTARY GYLIN DER ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED-NOV. 1a. 1902.

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NiTnD STATE Patented July 14, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES G. GRACEY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FRED A. GERKEN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

ROTARY-CYLINDER ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent Nd. 733,477, dated July 14, 1903.

Application filed November l3,1902.- Serial No. 131,206. (No modelJ To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES G. GRACEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary- Cylinder Engines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

Myinvention has relation to improvements in rotary-cylinder engines; and it consists in the novel arrangement and combination of parts more fully set forth in the specification, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the engine with the cylinder-body in a position corresponding to the half-stroke of the pistons and being a section on line 1 1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with the cylinderbody turned slightly beyond a quarter-revolution. Fig. 4: is a vertical middle section on line 4 iofFig. 1. Fig. 5 is a face view of the cam-track with the different positions assumed by the steam-valve during a revolution of the cylinder. Fig. 6 is a sectional detail showing the live-steam and exhaust passages in the cylinder-body and the corresponding ports in the valve. Fig. 7 is a section on line 7 7 of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a rear elevation of Fig. 6. Figs. 9, 10, 11, and 12 are diagrammatic views showing the course of travel of the piston-rod and crank-arm for a half-revolution of the cylinder-body, and Fig. 13 is a section on line 13 13 of Fig. 9.

The object of my invention is to construct a rotary-cylinder engine by the reciprocation of whose piston rotation is imparted to the drive-shaft, the latter being coupled directly to the cylinder. By the present invention the cylinder serves the double purpose of a fly-wheel and as the lever by which the crankarm coupled to the drive-shaft is actuated. The invention,too,combines simplicity of construction with economy of space and with a development of power comparable with that of the prevailing type of reciprocating engines having stationary cylinders.

In detail the invention may be described as follows:

Referring to the drawings, 0 represents a cylinder-body having steam-cylinders at opposite ends thereof, each provided with a piston P, connected by'a piston-rod p. The adjacent ends of the cylinders are in open communication with the atmosphere, the pistonrod operating at the base of a longitudinal groove 1, by which said open communication is established. The groove 1 is intersected in the middle by a transverse groove or way 2 of less depth, the lateral walls of said transverse groove serving as abutments for the pivotal or rotatable block 3, carried at one end of the crank-arm 4, the opposite end of said crank-arm being coupled by a pin 5 to the middle of the pist0n-rod and the intermediate point of the crankarm being connected directly to the drive -shaft S. The latter is mounted in a bearing 6.

Before describing the mechanism by which reciprocation is imparted to the pistons I shall first describe the manner of imparting rotation to the drive-shaft. Assuming that the pistons are at mid-stroke, Fig. 1, the point of connection between the piston-rod and crankarm 4 will be at the intersection of the grooves 1 and 2 and the 'block 3 will be at one end of the groove 2, the crank-arm 4: being parallel to such groove, Fig. 9. Now by following the arrows in Figs. 9 to 12, inclusive, we have the sequence of positions assumed by the various parts for one-half revolution of the shaft or one stroke of the piston-rod. Assuming (Fig. 9) that the piston-rod is descending from its position to complete a half-stroke, such a movement will cause the block 3 to push against the wall of the groove 2 and tend to impart rotation to the cylinder-body, thereby shifting the groove 2 from its horizontal position to the position shown in Fig. 10, (an advance of one-eighth revolution.) The effect of this change of position of the groove will be to cause the block 3 to traverse the groove toward the center thereof. For the next eighth of a revolution the block will be passing'the point of intersection of the grooves 1 and 2, (see Fig. 11,) and for the third eighth it will pass beyond such point toward the opposite end of thegroove 2, Fig. 12, when for the fourth eighth it will resume the position corresponding (though not identical, of course, since the cylinder has made a half-turn) to that shown in Fig. 9, and by which time the pin 5 has again reached the intersection of the grooves l and 2. The next half-revolution will of course be a repetition of the same motions, the piston always receiving its impetus from steam driving the upper piston, as presently to be seen, the lower piston exhausting. The purpose of mak ing the groove 2 shallower than the groove 1 is to allow the block 3 to pass the piston-rod, as clearly obvious from Fig. 13.

The mechanism by which reciprocation is imparted to the pistons is as follows: The rear of the cylinder-body is provided with two series of live-steam and exhaust passages 7 and 8, respectively, the former being adapted to communicate with the live port 7' of the steam rock-valve 9 and the latter with the exhaust-port 8 of the same valve. The valves are actuated by a cam-track 10, in which travel the rollers 11, carried at the ends of the arms 12, secured to the axes of oscillation of the valves, it being understood that the valves are turned to their proper position by the various sections of the cam-track, as presently will better appear. For the position shown in Fig. 1 the valves will assume the position shown at the top and bottom of Figs. 4c and 5that is to say, live steam will enter from the steam-pipe 13 through the passage and port 7 7', leading to the upper piston, and the exhaust will pass out through port 8 and passage 8, leading from the lower piston, such exhaust-steam passing out through the annular space 14, formed between the steam-pipe 13 and exhaust-pipe 15, the latter being closed at its outer end and discharging through peripheral openings 16 into an exhaust-chamber 17, from which an eduction-pipe 18 conveys the exhaust-steam to the atmosphere. The pipe-section 15 is secured directly to the cylinder-body and revolves with it, the said pipe-section serving as a supporting-hub for the cylinder and being directly carried by the standard or bearing 19, to which the cam-track is directly secured by brackets 20. The steam-pipe 13 likewise revolves with the cylinder, a suitable joint (not shown) being provided for at a convenient point along the pipe to allow for such rotation. As the cylinder continues its rotation to the right (see dotted position and arrows in Fig. 5) the valve will pass over the section a of the cam-track, whereby it is tripped in a direction shown by the small upper arrow to a position of cut-off, the steam acting by expansion while the valve is passing over the concentric section a b of the cam-track. The valve will then be tripped, as indicated by the right-hand arrow, while passing over section b c to an exhaust position, such exhaust continuing while the valve is passing the concentric section 0 d of the cam-track. Then it will be tripped, as indicated by bottom arrow, while passing over section (Z c to a cut-off position, (the momentum of the cylinder carrying it past this point which corresponds to a dead-center and which is made possible by the lap of the valve formed by the angular disposition of the ports 7' 8,) and when carried past this section it will be rocked again to an open position by the section ef, remaining open for the concentric section fa when a repetition of the operations takes place. The valve thus rocks back and forth on its axis as it performs its function for a complete revolution of the engine. Of course a description of one valve will serve for both, since both valves are controlled by the same cam-track.

It will be seen from the foregoing that by lengthening the cylinder-body and weighting the ends considerable leverage may be developed in the driving of the crank-arm coupled to the drive-shaft. I do not wish to be limited to the details here shown, as these may be departed from without affecting the nature or spirit of my invention. By varying the character of the cam-track the character of the steam-valve may be changed, it being possible to substitute a reciprocating valve for the rock-valve shown. So, too, can the device be altered in other details which will suggest themselves to any skilled mechanic.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In an engine, a rotary cylinder-bodyhaving a cylinder at either end thereof, a piston for each cylinder, a piston-rod connecting the pistons and reciprocating in the line of the axis of the cylinders, a way or groove intersecting the path of reciprocation of the pisston-rod, a drive-shaft, a crank-arm at one end of the shaft, one end of the crank-arm being pivotally coupled to the piston-rod between the pistons, the opposite end of the crankarm freely traversing the intersecting way formed in the cylinder-body, and valves located at the free ends of the cylinder-body for admitting the motor fluid to the pistons, substantially as set forth.

2. In an engine, a rotary cylinder, a reciprocating piston therefor, a piston-rod carried by the piston, a drive-shaft, a crank-arm carried at one end of the drive-shaft, and projecting on either side of the axis of said shaft, means for coupling one end of the crank-arm to the piston-rod, and efiecting a movable connection between the opposite end and the cylinder-body, and valves at the free ends of the cylinder-body, the parts operating substantially as, and for the purpose set forth.

8. In an engine, arotary cylinder-bodyhaving a cylinder at either end thereof, a piston for each cylinder, a piston-rod connecting the pistons, a longitudinal groove or way formed in the cylindenbody for the reception of the piston-rod, a transverse shallower groove intersecting the first groove, a drive-shaft, a crank-arm at one end of the shaft, one end of the crank-arm being pivotally coupled to the middle of the piston-rod, a rotatable block at the opposite end of the crank-arm adapted IIO to traverse the transverse groove, a bearing for the drive-shaft, and suitable valves for admitting the motor fluid to the pistons, the parts operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In an engine, a rotary cylinder-body, a cylinder at either end thereof, a piston for each cylinder, a piston-rod connecting the pistons, live-steam and exhaust passages formed in the cylinder-body and leading to the cylinders, a steam-pipe and exhaust-pipe communicating respectively with the live-steam and exhaust passages, Valves located at the outer ends of the aforesaid passages having livesteam and exhaust ports adapted to establish communication with the live-steam and exhaust passages of the cylinder, and mechanism located adjacent to the cylinder-body for controlling the position of the valves during the rotation of the cylinder-body, substantially as set forth.

5. In an engine, a rotary cylinder-body, a cylinder at either end thereof, a piston for each cylinder, a piston-rod connecting the cylinders, live -steam and exhaust passages formed in the cylinder-body and leading to the cylinders, a steam-pipe communicating with the live-steam passages, an exhaust-pipe connecting with the eXhaustpassages and enveloping the steam-pipe, rotary valves located at the outer ends of the respective passages and having ports adapted to be brought into communication therewith, arms at the outer ends of the valves, rollers on said arms, and a cam-track for the travel of said rollers and for oscillating the valves to their proper positions for the admission of the steam into and discharge from, the cylinders, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES G. GRAOEY.

lVitnesses:

EMIL STAREK, FRED A. GERKEN. 

